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Back in 287-212 BCE, our boy Archimedes of Syracuse was famously associated with having insights while having a bath.

According to the well-known story, he discovered a method for determining the purity of gold while taking a bath.

He noticed that water displaced when he entered corresponded to his body’s volume, leading to his principle of displacement.

The story goes that he was so excited by this discovery that he ran naked through the streets shouting “Eureka!” (meaning “I have found it!” in Greek)

Now I’m not going to be running through the streets naked anytime soon.

(I don’t want you to have to gauge your eyes out with a rusty spoon, I mean it’s not even February yet…)

But it dawned on me that myself and a few creatives use this “Sitting for ideas” thing to well, come up with new ideas.

And in a nutshell it’s you either soaking in the bath or having a nice long shower.

Or if you’re out for a walk or a nice long hike, the brain does this magical thing where it just starts to come up with solutions for problems you might have.

Or gives you a metric fudge-ton of ideas to play with.

It’s how I came about writing this email today.

I had to venture out into the wild and bare knuckle box my way to the back of the milk isle.

Fighting off old people looking for milk that doesn’t expire for at least 3 weeks.

All before 9 am

All before my first coffee…

Which brings me to my next soap box message which applies to what I’ve just written.

Writer’s block is the biggest scam since someone tried to sell me decaf coffee.

You know that feeling when you sit down to write and your brain suddenly decides to perform its one-act play called “I Have Never Had An Original Thought In My Life And Never Will Again”?

That’s not writer’s block. That’s your brain being a melodramatic teenager who just discovered existentialism.

Writer’s block is like your cat sitting on your keyboard.

It’s not actually stopping you from writing, it’s just being an attention-seeking asshole.

But if you combo together long walks, long soaks or even washing the dishes by hand, your brain will automagically come up with ideas and thoughts and that’s where you can pull from.

Writers block is just procrastination in a trench coat and the quickest way to kick its ass is to do what I suggested above.

Now if you’ll excuse me.

I’m gonna go soak in the bath.

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

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Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

January.

That temporal dumpster fire that felt like it lasted approximately 74 years while simultaneously disappearing faster than my will to wear pants.

Let’s be honest…

January was rougher than gas station coffee. It came in hot with its “new year, new me” propaganda, then proceeded to throw more plot twists.

February is our redemption arc.

January was the tutorial level. The warm-up act. The coffee before the coffee. Now we’re entering what I like to call “The Reality Check Reality Show”

Where we either double down on our goals or admit we’ve been lying to ourselves harder than when we say “just one more chapter” at 3 AM.

More writing

Less procrastination

Increased caffeine efficiency

Decreased time spent watching squirrels plot against me

January Goals: Finish the novel, get fit, achieve yoda-like enlightenment

February Goals: Write SOMETHING, don’t die, keep plants alive (ish)

Every day is a new chance to write

Every word count is a middle finger to resistance

Every cup of coffee is fuel for the revolution

Every squirrel is still suspicious

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

P.S. Yes, I wrote this without pants while planning February’s creative assault.

P.P.S. January was just the practice run. February is where we start playing for keeps.

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Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

I get this asked on occasion and it’s nothing new.

And a lot of people who start off, believe they can build whatever it is they want and people will come.

Yes, that can happen but it’s unlikely and it’s making you rely on luck, instead of proven principles.

Now remember this. I didn’t invent what I’m about to share. The only thing I’ve done is take the old timely principles and kept doing it over and over until I got it to work.

Granted things change in the social media world. Most of these principles stay the same.

So if I were new to this whole game I would tell myself to look around and find problems that keep people up at night.

The internet makes it super easy nowadays…

Old forums. Facebook groups. Reddit. Twitter, Quora, Medium, LinkedIn or Pinterest are good places to start.

Step two would be to use those same places to find out where solutions can be found as well.

Remember, people talk.

There will be books, products or even people providing services that solve those problems.

When I’ve found a few, I’d buy the products, especially if they are information products and go through them.

If they can be improved or paired with something else. I’d go and do that. This is the bit that would take a little time.

Once I’ve done that, now I’m ready.

I can create a variation of that solution, and possibly pair it up with someone who also provides a service.

We’d strike a deal and if I brought them a new customer, they’d give me a percentage of what they charge.

Now that I’ve got all of that in place. I can get to work.

I have a problem. I have a solution and now I just need to get the people to pick my solution over the others out there.

So I’d create a single-page website, similar to the one you clicked on to jump on my list. I’d talk about the problem and make it a little worse by pouring salt on the wound. I’d make them genuinely curious about fixing this problem and even offer a snippet of the solution if they give me their email address in turn.

This will partially scratch their itch.

Once I’ve got them on my email list. I’ll talk to them about the problem. Tell stories in various forms and if they really want to get rid of that problem, give them the opportunity to buy from me as well. I would write to them every day and continue to add other solutions to that problem. They get what they want. I get what I want and that’s all she wrote.

That’s it…

It sounds complicated but it’s not.

Find a problem

Find a solution

Find out where people hang out who need that solution

Use direct response principles to get them to have a look at your one-page website

Give them a taste

Grab their email

Email them daily and give them the opportunity to buy.

Done.

Once you get a few sales and make a few bucks, you now have the easiest little side business that you can scale up.

It’s fun, it genuinely helps people and this can all be done by not wearing any pants at all.

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

And no. I’m talking about today when Mother Nature decided to give me the worst blow job of my life, and no, not THAT kind…

Get your minds out of the gutter (where, coincidentally, I nearly ended up.)

Let me paint you a picture of pure British meteorological insanity:

There I was, strutting out of my house like some discount-bin protagonist, thinking I was the main character in my own story.

(NARRATOR: He was not…)

He was, in fact, about to become the comic relief in Mother Nature’s slapstick morning special.

The wind.

Holy shit-whistles, THE WIND. It wasn’t just blowing, it was conducting a full-scale aerial assault on my dignity.

Picture a leaf blower operated by a caffeinated raccoon with a vendetta. That kind of wind.

And then it happened.

My body. All 187 pounds of sleep-deprived writer meat, got caught in what can only be described as Nature’s version of a mosh pit. I spun like a hamster wheel powered by pure panic and yesterday’s poor life choices.

My arms? Windmilling like a Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Man having an melt down.

The finale? My ass made sweet, passionate contact with the pavement.

But wait! There’s more! (Sorry Billy Mays)

My neighbour.

Let’s call her Margaret (because that’s her actual name and at this point, why protect the witnesses?) had front-row seats to this slip of shame. There she was, about to take her dog for a walk and probably out to fight her way to the freshest milk bottled at the local shop before 8 am, when she got the morning entertainment she never asked for.

The worst part? She didn’t even try to hide her laughter. Just stood there, dog roaring to go, cackling like a hyena who just discovered Netflix comedy specials.

And there’s a lesson in this here email…

1. Writers turn trauma into content (it’s literally in the job description)
2. Someone needs to warn you about the UK’s secret weapon of mass humiliation (Wind for the next few days…)
3. My dignity was already gone, might as well get some engagement out of it

Rating: 0/10 – Would not recommend getting physically dominated by British weather while your neighbour watches.

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

P.S: To all those who clicked thinking this was about something else, you’re part of the problem, and I respect that.

P.P.S: Margaret, if you’re reading this, I saw you record it. We need to talk about royalties.

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Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

“When I bite down on this mouthpiece, ohhhh boy, I make nails look soft.” – Dan Hooker
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I was just listening to an interview with UFC Lightweight and full-time BMF Dan Hooker.

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It went something like this…

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Dan: “At first, all I wanted from fighting was money. Now all I want is a world championship.”

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Interviewer: “What made you want a world championship more than you want money?”

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Dan: “I made money.”

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Dan’s point:

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​The easiest way to transcend a lower motivation is not to deny it exists, but to satisfy it.

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True; money, status and pleasure are only level one.

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But the way to level two is through level one, and for most of us, it’s the only way.

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So my (uncommon) advice is this:

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If you want to get rich, get rich.

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If you want to hook up, hook up (responsibly, honestly, unapologetically).

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If you want to chase pleasure and status and shiny sh*t, get running.

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​Play level one full-tilt.

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But while you do, keep an eye out for level two.

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And, when level one gets old…

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…Don’t get sad, depressed, or existential.

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Get excited.

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The game is about to get even better.

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• T

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​P.S. The obvious disclaimer:

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Don’t lie, cheat, or steal. Try not to hurt anyone, including yourself. Stay in school. Wear protection. Don’t do drugs unless you absolutely, positively want to. Common sense not sold separately.

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And, whatever you do, don’t do anything until you’ve watched this video.

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​Unsubscribe | Update your profile | 5-420 Erb St. W, Suite 433, Waterloo, ON N2L6K6

Picture this…

You’re lying in bed, chest tight like you’re being crushed by a metric ton of unread notifications, skin doing that weird clammy-not-clammy thing like you’ve just mainlined eight espressos and fat line of regret. Your phone’s throwing numbers at you faster than an accountant having a mental breakdown…

Likes. Comments. Shares. Retweets. Hearts. Stars. Little thumbs-up symbols that mean absolutely fucking nothing but somehow mean EVERYTHING. (Damn subtext-emoji-whatevers)

We’ve become social media slot machine addicts, pulling the content lever over and over, hoping for that sweet hit of validation. It’s like running through sewers barefoot while checking your Instagram analytics. Painful, pointless, and probably giving you diseases science hasn’t named yet.

And as much as I love the allure of social media platforms. My main game for 2025 is to get people into my own little world.

Which is this here list you’re on and/or the group I run on Facebook

I’ve always been an email guy though and that’s why I try and convert everyone with a creative bone to my wicked writer-ly ways…

Why?

Email is honest. No algorithms playing emotional puppet master, no fake engagement from bot farms and no squirrels monitoring my social media activity (okay, maybe some squirrels)

Email is intimate. Just me, you, and whatever latte inspired anarchy I’m spewing that day. There’s no performance arts for the algorithm gods and no desperate attempts to game the system.

Most importantly. Email is mine.

No platform can take it away, no terms of service changes can nuke my audience cause I back it up often (I learnt that the hard way) and no A.I. overlord is deciding who sees what.

So here I am, showing up in your inbox daily like a pal and because quality beats quantity like coffee beats sleep.

Stephen Walker

P.S. Yes, I wrote this without pants while ignoring all my social media notifications and incoming message pings.

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

“Why did she have to happen? Just when I was doing so good without her.” – Hunter S. Thompson
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A Path member recently asked:

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“How do I deal with feeling infatuated with a girl I just met? I want to play it cool but I can’t shake this strong feeling of infatuation that wants to be expressed.”

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(anybody relate?)

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Here’s what I replied:
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​Notice the feeling but do not express it.

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You just met her, which means she has not earned your infatuation yet.

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And expressing a feeling she hasn’t earned signals a lack of standards, which will send her running for the hills.

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Of course, you can and should express interest, but only in a light-hearted, low-stakes way.

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Your energy should say:
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“I don’t know you very well but it feels like there might be something here and it would be cool to find out.”
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Not:
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“Ohmg you’re amazzzing I remember you from a past life. Can I wear your skin as a coat?”
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Because:

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​Infatuation is not love, it is an attachment pattern.

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And the part of you that is infatuated is the part of you that will get in the way of your ability to love skillfully.

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So, when you feel infatuation arise:

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Notice the feeling.

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Notice what that feeling wants you to say or do.

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​Then, don’t do it.

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Instead, keep your interactions relaxed, fun and light.

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As you observe your infatuation without allowing it to drive your behaviour, it will begin to transform into a healthier, more mature pattern.

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And that healthy, mature pattern will set the stage for a healthy, mature relationship.

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That’s what I said in our Path community.

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But here are a few more quick, tactical ideas that are coming to mind as I write this:
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1. When strong feelings arise, relax your body.
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   A relaxed body creates a relaxed mind which creates relaxed interactions.
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2. Talk to more people.
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   The more options you have, the less power any one option has over you.

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Yes, commit to one person when the relationship becomes exclusive, or you both develop real feelings for each other — but not before.

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3. Get clear on what you’re actually looking for in a partner.

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Then, treat your early interactions as a testing ground to see if the other person meets your criteria.

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(while staying open to being surprised, willing to update your criteria, not dismissing people too early, etc)

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Remember:

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It’s a tryout, not a chase. ​
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Hope that helps 🙂

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• T

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​P.S. This clip pairs perfectly with today’s email:

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​Never Do This Early In A Relationship
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​Unsubscribe | Update your profile | 5-420 Erb St. W, Suite 433, Waterloo, ON N2L6K6

Deadlines, documents and word counts have been the common theme for over a week.

The idea of going gently into 2025 was but a dream…

Although I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world (Except for unlimited Coffee + Krispy Kreme’s for life…maybe)

My editor has vanished, well not vanished but taken a well-deserved holiday for putting up with my shenanigans in 2024.

I’ve had to become a mega-hermit and block out everything and everyone, I mean. When you’ve got a mission in place. An end goal. You don’t just allow anything or anyone to get in your way from achieving it.

Yeah, you’re gonna get people who don’t understand and call you selfish. Which is cool.

Years ago I would’ve tried to be that type of people pleaser who’d want to make sure I manage their feelings on the subject.

Now. I don’t care one bit. This always-on, always-available and emotionally justifiable world we live in seems to get worse every year. Which to me is nuts.

Which gets me to the point of this email today…

Protecting your peace while working on your goals, dreams etc. You’re only alive on this spinning rock for a finite amount of time and you need to make sure you live your life on your terms.

(Woah this is getting a lot more inspirational and serious than in most of my writing…)

There’s been way too much chaos being swirled around and spat out for everyone to see and in 2025, I’m not about that life. I don’t think anyone’s gonna be about that life.

My mode has been switched to: Serious.

Things need to get done.

Squirrels need to be monitored…

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

P.S. This set has been keeping me going while I’m pounding away at the keyboard. I’ve gone from writing 20k+ words, down to editing it to less than 12k…

P.P.S. I’m about 1 cup of coffee away from transforming into a gelatinous flesh-vessel of pure caffeine.

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom